Politex

Burnam again proposes income tax for Texas

For the sixth time in six years, state Rep. Lon Burnam is proposing that Texas create a state income tax.

Burnam, a Fort Worth Democrat, has previously filed five similar bills since 2004. Each went nowehere. On Monday, he filed his sixth version of a proposal that has few other cheerleaders in the Legislature.

Talk of Burnam's bill caught the attention of some TV and radio stations around the state earlier this summer, in part linked to the debate over how large next year's the budget shortfall would be. Some lawmakers say the shortfall will be more than $20 billion.

Burnam is framing his bill as primarily a property tax relief measure for low and middle-income Texans. A "modest" income tax of 3 to 6 percent on those making more than $150,000 per year would yield approximately $8 billion every biennium, two-thirds of which would reduce property taxes by 20% for all home owners, according to Burnam's office. The rest would go toward the foundation school fund.

"If I can drive home the fact that this is a property tax relief bill for 85 percent of Texans, maybe people will start paying attention," Burnam said earlier this year.

In August, Gov. Rick Perry was at a Fort Worth Wal-Mart propoting the state sales tax holiday when he was asked by a reporter about Burnam's proposal.

"I think Lon will be a very lonely fellow in his quest to pass a personal state income tax," Perry said.

-Aman Batheja

Plans for a Republican slumber party in Congress

At least 15 percent of the 94 incoming members of the House of Representatives plan to sleep in their congressional office instead of renting a home in Washington, D.C., according to a report in Monday's Wall Street Journal.

For some freshman members, the move is a way of showing to constituents their scorn for Washington and for unnecessary spending, according to the report. For others, it's about avoiding the city's high rents.

The article includes this tidbit regarding a former North Texas Congressman:

In the mid-1980s, then-Speaker Tip O'Neill (D., Mass.) rousted the office sleepers, including Texas Republican Dick Armey, who later became House majority leader and is now a booster of the anti-Washington tea-party rebellion. "The theory was the offices weren't for sleeping," says Stan Brand, who was House general counsel at the time. "They were for transacting business."

Mr. Armey moved out briefly, then quietly started sleeping on his office couch again, according to a former aide.

-Aman Batheja

Rep. Larry Phillips identified in ethics inquiry involving speaker's race

Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, the vice chairman of the House committee charged with investigating ethics complaints, was identified today as the House leadership member who allegedly warned a colleague that lawmakers who fail to support Speaker Joe Straus for re-election could face retribution through redistricting.

Rep. Charles L. "Chuck" Hopson, chairman of the House General Investigating and Ethics Committee, made the disclosure before the committee went into closed executive session to discuss the allegation.  Phillips recused himself as vice chairman of the panel and was participating in the closed session. He was not immediately available for comment.

Hopson ordered the inquiry after Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, released a statement saying that a member of Straus' leadership team warned him that members who fail to support Straus in the speaker's race could be punished when lawmakers redraw legislative districts next year.

Hughes, who withdrew his support for Straus in making the allegation, did not identify the member and turned the name over to Straus, who in turned gave it to Hopson. Straus, a San Antonio Republican who faces two opponents in his bid for a second term as speaker, has denounced the allegations as "outrageous."

House members will choose a speaker after the 82nd Legislature convenes on Jan. 11. Conservative groups are waging a high-profile campaign to oust the incumbent speaker, saying the 150-member House needs more conservative leadership after Republicans broadened their majority by picking up 22 seats in the Nov. 2 election.

-- Dave Montgomery   

Zedler endorses Paxton in speakers race

  

Rep. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney,  on Monday picked up support from three incoming House members - including Bill Zedler of Arlington -  in his bid to defeat incumbent House SpeakerJoe Straus when lawmakers choose a new leader at the outset of the 82nd Legislature next month.
"Ken Paxton is a solid conservative who we can count on to serve as an advocate for taxpayers, families and businesses in Austin," Zedler said in announcing his endorsement.  "Conservatives in my district and all across Texas have spoken, and they've told me they want a conservative House speaker."
Zedler, a former House member who has reclaimed the District 96 seat he lost in 2008, was on a list of pledges released by Straus hours after the Nov. 2 election,  but he  told the Star-Telegram the next day that he was keeping his options open.  "My deal is I will meet with the (Republican) caucus and vote for the most conservative member,” he told the newspaper.
Reps.-elect Charles Perry, R-Lubbock,  and and Jim Landtroop, R-Plainview, said they decided to throw their support behind Paxton as part of a push to install a more conservative leader in the House after Republicans expanded their majority in the House by gaining 22 seats in this month's elections.
Perry and Landtroop decided to go with Paxton over fellow West Texan Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, the other contender in the three-way speakers race.
“Warren Chisum and I had a very cordial conversation,” said Perry, “and he was most gracious
understanding my endorsement of Ken Paxton in his bid for Speaker.”
Perry and Landtroop said they want House Republicans to meet in a caucus to anoint a speaker.
Although Straus says he has more than enough pledges to win the race, conservative groups are waging an aggressive campaign to oust the San Antonio Republican, who became speaker in January of 2009.  On Tuesday, the House General Investigating and Ethics Committee will conduct a hearing into alleged statements by a member of Straus' leadership team that lawmakers who don't support Straus could be punished through legislative redistricting.  Straus has dismissed the assertions as  "outrageous."
-- Dave Montgomery

 

 

Perry continues attack on Washington in his new role as RGA chairman

 

After getting a hefty share of national publicity following the release of his Washington-bashing book, "Fed Up!", Gov. Rick Perry is continuing to garner attention outside Texas in his new role as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

Following Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an appearance on "Fox News Sunday." Perry restated his contempt for big government and Washington meddling and said that he and fellow Republican governors will press for policies that will "devolve power out of Washington back to the states." 

Interviewed by moderator Chris Wallace, Perry again said that Texas can do a more efficient and less costly job of administering health care by opting out of Medicaid and administering a state-run program through a federal block grant that does not carry Washington-directed mandates now attached to Medicaid funding.  "We could save substantial dollars," Perry said.

After Wallace turned the interview to the state's budget crisis, Perry stood behind his pledge to help lead Texas through a multi-billion budget shortfall through program cuts without raising taxes.  He also disputed reports that the shortfall is up to $25 billion, saying the magnitude of the problem won't be known until Texas Comptroller Susan Combs releases revenue projections just before the Jan. 11 start of the 82nd Legislature.

Perry responded to what has become a standard theme in his talk show interviews, disavowing any interest in running for president in 2012.     "I don't want to be the president ofthe United States," he said.  "The states are where the power should be."

He also resurrected a line from his book that Social Security is a giant "Ponzi Scheme" and stood behind his opposition to the federal government's bail-out of General Motors.  Within 10 minutes after the interview, the rapid response team for the Democratic National Committee released a "fact-check" summary of reports and news articles that it said showed that the bailout "saved jobs and prevented devastating losses."

"It’s clear that Rick Perry will always put ideology over the needs of middle class Americans and their families," the DNC asserted.

-- Dave Montgomery

 

 

Bush: Mission Accomplished?

The infamous "Mission Accomplished" banner -- that hung in the background when then-President George W. Bush gave a 2003 speech on the USS Lincoln about major combat operations in Iraq ending -- has not been lost.

It is among the tens of thousands of items that are in storage and will be considered for display at the future Bush library and museum being built on the edge of the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Bush Presidential Complex was held earlier this week.

"The banner is one of the more than 43,000 artifacts in our collection," said Alan Lowe, director of the George W. Bush Library. "The Museum will open in 2013 and decisions about what will or what will not be displayed have not been made this far in advance."

-- Anna M. Tinsley

 

Paxton and Chisum urge activists to pounce on Straus supporters (updated)

There may be three candidates running for House Speaker but there's only two positions: pro-Straus or anti-Straus.

That was the message delivered by state Reps. Ken Paxton of McKinney and Warren Chisum of Tampa Thursday night at an event hosted by the Tarrant County Republican Assembly and the Fort Worth 912 Project. The two men are challenging current House Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio.

“This is not between me and Ken Paxton,” Chisum said. “It’s about unseating Joe Straus.”

The campaign to woo away Straus backers is on and Paxton and Chisum said they needed "the grassroots" to put their plan into action. They called on local activists to call, email, fax and visit with representatives pledged to Straus and urge them to withdraw their pledge. Chisum suggested that people threaten to field a primary opponent against Republican members if they continue to support Straus.

"They don't owe Joe Straus anything," Paxton said. "They owe you."

When asked about them by an attendee, Chisum called allegations that either him or Paxton are “cronies” for former House Speaker Tom Craddick as “red herrings.” He described Craddick as a "rich man" too busy traveling the world to have time to be running two opposition campaigns against Straus behind the scenes.

“Tom’s a great guy," Chisum said. "He will vote for us. He hasn’t funded my campaign. He hasn’t funded Ken’s campaign.” 

We've got more details from their joint appearance here.

-Aman Batheja

Two of three speaker candidates in Fort Worth tonight

Two of the three official candidates for Speaker of the House will be at a meet-and-greet in Fort Worth tonight. State Reps. Warren Chisum and Ken Paxton, both Republicans, will attend a meeting organized by the 912 Project Fort Worth and the Tarrant Republican Assembly.

The event is being heavily promoted by area Tea Party groups fresh off midterm election wins. Several of the groups immediately jumped straight into the Speakers Race following Election Day. Communications from the groups to its members have criticized current House Speaker Joe Straus or questioned whether he is conservative enough to hold the position in next year's legislative session.

A spokesman for Straus' office confirmed this morning that Straus did not receive an invitation to tonight's event.

This week, some attacks on Straus from conservative activists have drawn criticism for delving into Straus' Jewish faith.

-Aman Batheja

House committee to hold Fort Worth hearing on oil, gas development

Are you happy with local ordinances governing oil and natural gas development? Or would you like to see some changes?

Either way, you can put in your two cents worth at a public hearing that the Energy Resources Committee of the Texas House of Representatives will hold from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Fort Worth City Hall at 1000 Throckmorton St. downtown. The meeting will be in City Council chambers on the second floor. State  Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, the committee chairman, will preside.

"The committee is there to listen and learn...it's taking the people's opinion, more than anything," said Ky Ash, Keffer's chief of staff. The committee has the following charge from House Speaker Joe Straus: "Survey current local ordinances governing surface use of property in oil and gas development. Recommend changes, if any, to the authority of the (Texas) Railroad Commission to regulate the operation of oil and gas industries in urban areas of the state, particularly the Barnett Shale."

Ash said the meeting is expected to attract speakers including Texas Railroad Commission officials, oil and gas industry representatives, environmental groups and individual citizens. A time limit, perhaps three minutes, probably will be imposed on speakers, he said.

--Jack Z. Smith

Bush complex begins

So it begins.

After an hour's worth of speeches, former President George W. Bush, former First Lady Laura Bush, former Vice President Dick Cheney and others involved in the project, stuck their yellow shovels into a pile of dirt and gently tossed the dirt back into the pile.

Work now begins on developing the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

-- Anna M. Tinsley